In 1942, American-born couturier Mainbocher designed the uniform for the U.S. Navy’s W.A.V.E.S. (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service). He made his uniform from the same navy blue wool used for male officer’s uniforms, and it was widely lauded for its fashionable aesthetic. According to the W.A.V.E.S. commanding officer, Lieut. Comdr. Mildred H. McAfee, it was cut to be both “becoming and functional.”

Object Number: 84.203.1

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology
Seventh Avenue at 27 Street
New York City 10001-5992